The Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention is responsible for convening an Ad Hoc Working Group of Government-designated Experts to function as an Interim Scientific, Technical and Advisory Committee (ISTAC) on activities for the management and control of marine pollution from land-based sources.  This group will function until the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol formally enters into force. The meeting will be the fourth of this Ad Hoc Working Group.

In accordance with the Workplan and Budget for 2006-2007, endorsed by the Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting, the Fourth ISTAC Meeting will be held during the week beginning 29 October in Guatemala.

The proposed objectives of the Fourth ISTAC Meeting are to:

• Evaluate the projects and activities implemented by the Secretariat and the LBS Regional Activity Centres (RACs) within the Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP) sub-programme during the period 2006-2007;         
• Review the progress made in the implementation of the Recommendations of the Third LBS ISTAC Meeting and the relevant Decisions of the Twelfth Intergovernmental Meeting and Eighth Meeting of the Contracting Parties;
• Review the status of ratification and/or implementation of the LBS Protocol in member countries;
• Develop the AMEP Workplan and Budget for the 2008-2009 Biennium for  subsequent submission to, and approval by, the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Meeting in 2008;
• Identify partner agencies and related projects that will facilitate more effective implementation of the 2008-2009 Workplan; and
• Identify new thematic areas for further project development as part of the AMEP Workplan.

Further details on the meeting will be posted on our website at www.cep.unep.org.